Housing betrayal of Charlestown costs taxpayers

As most Rhode Island communities struggle to meet whimsical expectations of the law for construction of affordable housing (AH), proposals from developers arouse strong opposition. Rural communities are...

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By
Thomas B. Gentz
Posted Jul. 1, 2013 @ 12:01 am

As most Rhode Island communities struggle to meet whimsical expectations of the law for construction of affordable housing, proposals from developers arouse strong opposition. Rural communities are hostile to the creation of subdivisions in pockets of rural landscape that would be illegal, were it not for provisions in the law that allow violation of zoning and long-range planning.

Charlestown took the failing statewide affordable housing initiative into its own hands. We asked our residents for financial help. The town passed a $1 million bond issue to promote construction of affordable housing. We were the only town in Rhode Island to do so.

Some of that money was used to rescue a failed affordable housing project that had languished under Rhode Island Housing (the overseer of affordable housing in Rhode Island) for some five years. Owing to inexcusable neglect, one of those houses had been lost to foreclosure at taxpayer expense.

The town then identified properties better suited to construction of affordable housing and arranged for the purchase of two parcels in its growth centers.

Charlestown authorized an internal study of the performance of affordable housing law and learned that most of the projects in the immediate region had failed. Evidence pointed to a greater need for rental units for low-income households and housing for the elderly, not unmarketable McMansions for households earning above average income.

With the help of a not-for-profit developer, Charlestown got the green light from Rhode Island Housing to proceed with a plan for construction of 11 low-income family units in Shannock Village and 24 units of low-income elderly housing in Charlestown’s Traditional Village.

These proposals went through public hearings with little opposition, and were approved by the town’s planning commission.

After the expenditure of some $100,000 of taxpayers’ money to develop these proposals with the encouragement of Rhode Island Housing, which is a necessary partner to raising the $8 million needed to complete the projects, we were informed that Rhode Island Housing was no longer interested.

This betrayal of effort is a disgrace and should serve as a caution to any community entertaining cooperation with Rhode Island Housing. The affordable housing law and its overseer need close examination for failed policies and mismanagement. Towns deserve better for their investment of effort, and the public deserves better for its investment of hard-earned dollars to help those in need.

Thomas B. Gentz is the president, and George C. Trembley a member, of the Charlestown Town Council.